1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a liquid jet head having a structure that enables movable members to be displaced. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing a head in accordance with a new discharging principle.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, there has been developed a printing head, which uses the so-called bubble jet method whereby to heat ink and create bubbles for use of discharging ink onto a recording sheet for printing. Since this printing head is effective in enhancing the precision of printing, it is widely used practically.
For an assembling system for assembling a printing head using the bubble jet method, it is required to perform an accurate positioning in a range of micron order with respect to the heaters that heat ink, as well as to the discharge ports through which ink is discharge in the form of bubbles created by film boiling exerted by heat generated by heaters. For example, in order to attain a high precision of approximately 360 dpi as a printing accuracy, it is necessary to arrange 64 discharge ports at equal intervals in an area of approximately 4.5 mm. In this case, the arrangement pitch is approximately as minute as 70 micron.
Here, using a highly precise processing system such as a laser processor, the formation of discharge ports is possible at extremely small intervals as described above on the orifice plate installed on the front of a ceiling member in a high precision given within an allowable range. Also, for the formation of heaters, a highly precise etching technique is adopted to make it possible to form them on a heater board also within in a specific high precision within an allowable range.
When adhesively bonding this heater board and ceiling plate, it is necessary to position the heaters and the grooves provided for the ceiling plate in good precision.
As a method for executing this positioning, an image processing technique or the like is used to measure the positions of heaters and the groove of the ceiling plate, and then, while adjusting the position of the ceiling plate with respect to the heater board, these members are bonded (which is disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 4-171131). Also, there has been proposed a method whereby to provide a reference surface for the ceiling plate, which is caused to abut upon the cutting surface of the heater board, and then, while adjusting the position of the ceiling plate with respect to the heater board, these members are bonded.
Of these methods for adhesively bonding the heater board and ceiling plate, the later is simpler than the former in the equipment arrangement. Also, the line arrangement is made simpler, thus providing the advantage that the reduction of manufacturing costs is possible.
The present invention is designed to provide a method for manufacturing a component having movable members therefor, which is capable of presenting a good yield rate and obtaining a reliable accuracy in the process of manufacture with respect to the invention filed by the present inventors previously as an epoch-making presentation of discharging principle, and related structures, as well as excellent effects obtainable by the application thereof. Also, the invention is designed to solve the problems encountered in the conventional techniques of manufacture.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a method for adhesively bonding a thin film material having a number of movable members therefor on a desirable location of a liquid path portion in good precision simply and reliably without damaging the movable members.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for bonding a heater board and a ceiling plate, while adjusting the positions thereof without causing any damage to valves residing between the heater board and the ceiling plate in a process of the reference surface of the ceiling plate being caused to abut upon the cutting surface of the heater board for adhesively bonding them.
In order to achieve the object described above, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a component having a number of liquid paths each with a movable member for use of liquid discharge. This methods comprises the steps of arranging a thin film material provided with a number of movable members and a component provided with a number of recessed portions corresponding liquid paths; and displacing the movable members corresponding to the recessed portions in a state of the movable members being displaced.
Also, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a liquid jet head using components produced by a method of manufacture comprising a step of placing a substrate having a number of heat generating elements arranged therefor with respect to the aforesaid component so as to position the heat generating elements corresponding to the movable members.
Also, the present invention relates to a liquid jet head produced by a method for manufacturing a liquid jet head provided with discharge ports for discharging liquid; air bubble generating areas for creating air bubbles in liquid; movable members arranged to face the air bubble generating areas, each capable of being displaced between a first position and a second position further away from each of said air bubble generating areas than the first position, this movable member being displaced from the first position to the second position by pressure exerted by each air bubble created in each of the air bubble generating areas, at the same time, causing each air bubble to expand larger in the upstream than the downstream in the direction toward the discharge port for discharging liquid from each of the discharge ports.
Also, in order to achieve the object described above the present invention is designed for a method for manufacturing a liquid jet head provided with a separation wall having movable members capable of being displaced, and with an elemental substrate having heat generating elements for displacing the movable members, including the following steps of:
preparing the separation wall and the elemental substrate;
coating liquid on the separation wall or on the elemental substrate; and
positioning the separation wall to the elemental substrate to cause the separation wall to be closely in contact with the elemental substrate through liquid.
The present invention also relates to a method for shifting a thin film material to cause a thin film material of 50 xcexcm thick or less to float on a base for use thereof by tilting the base to utilize the weight of the thin film material own for shifting the thin film material.
The present invention also relates to a method for positioning a thin film material, which comprises the steps of carrying a thin film material, which is caused to float by a method for shifting a thin film material referred to in the preceding paragraph, and of causing the thin film material to abut upon an abutting reference to position the thin film material.
The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a liquid discharging member comprising a step of positioning a thin film material by the application of a positioning method referred to in the preceding paragraphs when the thin film material is used for a liquid jet head structured by a member having liquid flow paths and an elemental substrate arranged therefor.
Also, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a liquid jet head provided with a thin film material between a ceiling plate having liquid flow paths and an elemental substrate having heat generating elements arranged therefor, comprising a step of causing the thin film material to float on a base, and tilting the base to utilize the weight of the thin film own to allow it to abut upon the reference surface of the base for provisional positioning.
Also, the present invention relates to a liquid jet head manufactured using the method of manufacture described in the preceding paragraph, and being provided with a plurality of discharge ports for discharging liquid; an elemental substrate having a plurality of heat generating elements arranged therefor to create air bubbles in liquid by giving heat to the liquid; liquid flow paths having supply paths for supplying liquid to the heat generating elements from the upstream side of the heat generating elements; and movable members formed by thin film material arranged to face the heat generating elements, each having a free end on the discharge port side to lead pressure exerted by the creation of air bubble to the discharge port side by displacing the free end by means of the pressure thus exerted.
Also, the present invention relates to a liquid jet head manufactured by the method of manufacture referred to in the preceding paragraph, being provided with a plurality of discharge ports for discharging liquid; a plurality of grooves for constituting a plurality of first liquid flow paths conductively connected directly with each of the discharging ports; a grooved ceiling plate having a recessed portion to constitute a first common liquid chamber integrally for supplying liquid to the plurality of first liquid flow paths; an elemental substrate having a plurality of heat generating elements arranged therefor for creating air bubbles in liquid by giving heat to the liquid; and a separation wall formed by thin film material arranged between the grooved ceiling plate and the elemental substrate to partly constitute the wall of a second liquid flow path facing the heat generating elements, at the same time, having movable members each capable of being displaced to the first liquid flow path side by pressure exerted by the creation of air bubbles in a position facing the heat generating elements.
Also the present invention relates to a method for positioning a sheet member structured by including the following steps of:
arranging a carrier jig having a connecting surface and magnetically holding a sheet member formed by magnetic material in a position facing a base having the installation surface allowing the connecting surface of the sheet member to abut upon the installation surface of the base;
performing the positional adjustment for the sheet member held by the carrier jig with respect to the specific position of the base in a state of the one directional position of the carrier jig being regulated with respect to the installation surface of the base; and
causing the sheet member whose position has been adjusted with respect to the specific position of the base to part from the carrier jig.
Also, the present invention relates to a method for positioning a sheet member structured by including the following steps of:
arranging a carrier jig having a connecting surface and magnetically holding a sheet member formed by magnetic material in a position abutting upon and following the installation surface of the base having the installation surface allowing the connecting surface of the sheet member to abut upon the installation surface of the base;
causing the connecting surface of the sheet member held by the carrier jig to part from the installation surface of the base, and performing the positional adjustment of the sheet member held by the carrier jig with respect to the specific position of the base in a state of the one directional position of the carrier jig being regulated with respect to the installation surface of the base; and
causing the sheet member whose position has been adjusted with respect to the specific position of the base to part from the carrier jig.
Also, the present invention relates to a method for positioning a sheet member structured by including the following steps of:
arranging a carrier jig having a connecting surface and magnetically holding a sheet member formed by magnetic material in a position abutting upon and following the installation surface of the base having the installation surface allowing the connecting surface of the sheet member to abut upon the installation surface of the base;
causing the connecting surface of the sheet member held by the carrier jig to slide and contact with the installation surface of the base, and performing the positional adjustment of the sheet member held by the carrier jig with respect to the specific position of the base in a state of the one directional position of the carrier jig being regulated with respect to the installation surface of the base; and
causing the sheet member whose position has been adjusted with respect to the specific position of the base to part from the carrier jig.
Also, the present invention relates to a method for positioning a sheet member structured by including the following steps of:
arranging a carrier jig magnetically holding an edge orthogonal to the connecting surface of a sheet member formed by magnetic material in a position to enable the connecting surface of the sheet member to face the installation surface of the base allowing the connecting surface to abut upon the installation surface of the base;
performing the positional adjustment of the sheet member held by the carrier jig in the other direction thereof along the installation surface with respect to the specific position of the base in accordance with the positional marking arranged for the installation surface in a state of the one directional position of the carrier jig being regulated with respect to the installation surface of the base; and
causing the sheet member whose position has been adjusted with respect to the specific position of the base to part from the carrier jig.
Also, the present invention relates to a method for positioning a sheet member structured by including the following steps of:
arranging a carrier jig provided with a first positional marking and magnetically holding an edge orthogonal to the connecting surface of a sheet member formed by magnetic material in a position to enable the connecting surface of the sheet member to face the installation surface of the base allowing the connecting surface to abut upon the installation surface of the base;
performing the positional adjustment of the sheet member held by the carrier jig in the other direction thereof along the installation surface with respect to the specific position of the base in accordance with a second positional marking provided for the installation surface of the base and the first positional marking provided for the jig in a state of the one directional position of the carrier jig being regulated with respect to the installation surface of the base; and
causing the sheet member whose position has been adjusted with respect to the specific position of the base to part from the carrier jig.
Also, the present invention relates to a system for positioning a sheet member structured by including the following units:
a unit of positional adjustment mechanism provided with a jig selectively holding the edge of a sheet member orthogonal to the connecting surface of the sheet member, being arranged to face a base having the installation surface to arrange the sheet member thereon;
a position detecting unit for detecting the relative position of the sheet member held by the carrier jig with respect to the installation surface of the base; and
a unit of positional adjustment mechanism for controlling the operation of positional adjustment for the sheet member held by the carrier jig with respect to the installation surface of the base in accordance with the detection output from the position detecting unit in a state of the edges of the carrier jig and the base abutting upon each other between them to regulate one direction of the carrier jig with respect to the installation surface of the base.
Other objective and advantages besides those discussed above will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which follows. In the description, reference is made to accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which illustrate an example of the invention. Such example, however, is not exhaustive of the various embodiments of the invention, and therefore reference is made to the claims which follow the description for determining the scope of the invention.